Skip to main content
Sign in with your store to see only the help that applies to you.

Offline Issues

Cashier Manager Admin

Use this page when sales made while the internet was down aren't being sent, or show as failed.

Quick fixes​

  • Sales aren't sending now the internet is back — Tap the sync indicator in the POS top bar and tap Sync Now. A long queue takes a little while; sales go one at a time.
  • A sale shows FAILED in Sales History — Tap it to read the error, fix the cause (for example, open a cash drawer on that register), then tap Retry Sync.
  • "No open cash drawer session for this register" — The drawer was closed while the sale was waiting. Open a drawer on that register, then tap Retry Sync.
  • "SALE NOT SAVED" after taking payment — The sale wasn't recorded anywhere. Don't treat it as paid; ring it up again, then free up storage on the device.
  • Prices look old while offline — Expected. The register uses its saved catalog until it's back online. Tap Sync Now once connected.
Never clear browser data while sales are waiting

Clearing the browser's cache, cookies or site data permanently deletes unsent sales. Wait until the red badge on the sync indicator is gone.

Common questions​

How do I know if anything is still waiting to send? A red number on the sync indicator shows how many items are waiting. Tap it for the breakdown, or open Sales History to see each queued sale.

Will a sale be recorded twice if it's sent again? No. Each sale carries its own identifier, so a sale sent twice is recorded once.

Can I take card payments while offline? Payments on a card terminal linked to Brother POS need the internet. Cash, and card payments you charge on a standalone terminal and record in Brother POS, can still be saved and sent later.

Is it safe to close the POS or turn the device off? Yes. Queued sales stay on the device. Only clearing the browser's data deletes them.

More detail: how offline mode works

How Offline Mode Works​

A quick overview helps with troubleshooting:

  1. Connection checks. The POS keeps checking whether it can reach the server. When it cannot, it switches to offline mode by itself and the sync indicator in the header reads Offline.

  2. Saved information. Products, categories, customers, store settings, promotions and customer balances are saved on the register, so you can keep searching, scanning and building carts.

  3. Offline queue. A sale completed while offline is saved on the device. Cash, recorded card payments, e-Transfer, store credit, gift cards, house accounts and split payments can all be queued. Payments on an integrated card terminal (one Brother POS sends the amount to) need an internet connection. Saved sales survive page refreshes and browser restarts.

  4. Automatic sync. When the connection returns, queued sales are sent to the server one at a time, oldest first.

  5. Sync indicator. The indicator in the POS header shows the current status:

    • Spinning arrows — a sync is running
    • Offline — no server connection; sales are being queued on the register
    • Green tick — online and synced within the last 15 minutes
    • Amber warning with a time (or Never synced) — online, but the last sync was more than 15 minutes ago; tap it and press Sync Now

    A red number badge on the indicator shows how many sales, cash drops, pay-ins, stock moves, clock-in/out actions and voids are waiting to be sent.

Offline limitations

While offline, the POS cannot:

  • Take payments on an integrated card terminal
  • Void a whole sale or process a return
  • Accept a manager PIN approval
  • Show stock, customer or balance changes made on other registers

For the full list, see Offline Mode.

More detail: sales stuck in the queue

Sales Stuck in the Offline Queue​

Problem​

The network is back but queued sales are not syncing. The badge on the sync indicator stays the same, or sales in Sales History still show QUEUED.

Solutions​

  1. Check that the server is really reachable. Being connected to Wi-Fi does not mean the internet is working.

    • Open a new browser tab and go to your store's Brother POS address (for example, storename.brotherpos.ca). If it loads, the server is reachable.
    • The sync indicator should no longer read Offline. While offline, the register checks again about every 10 seconds.

  2. Press Sync Now. Tap the sync indicator and press Sync Now. This sends every waiting item and refreshes the register's saved information. Refreshing the page also sends any waiting items.

  3. Give it a moment. Sales are sent one at a time, so a long queue can take a little while to clear.

  4. Look at the queued sales. Open Sales History. Queued sales are listed at the top. A sale that has failed five times is marked FAILED. Tap it to see the last error the server gave, then use Retry Sync once the cause is fixed.

  5. Do not clear browser data. Clearing it permanently deletes sales that have not synced.

Do not clear browser data

If sales are waiting to sync, do not clear the browser's cache, cookies or site data. Doing so permanently deletes those sales and the revenue is lost from your records. Make sure the badge is gone and Sales History shows no QUEUED or FAILED sales before clearing browser data.

More detail: sync failures and what the errors mean

Sync Failures When Back Online​

Problem​

Some queued sales fail to sync when the connection returns. They show FAILED in Sales History, or the badge count does not go down.

Solutions​

  1. Read the error. Tap the sale in Sales History. Common errors:

    • "No open cash drawer session for this register" — A queued sale is added to whichever drawer session is open on that register when it syncs. If the drawer has been closed and no new one is open, it cannot sync. Open a drawer on that register, then press Retry Sync.
    • "Product not found" followed by a number — A product on the sale was deleted from the catalog while the register was offline.
    • Your login has expired — Log in again; waiting sales are kept and will sync.

    A sale is not refused for taking a customer over the daily purchase limit or for selling more than the server's stock count. Those offline sales are recorded (see How Brother POS Protects Offline Sales).

  2. Decide what to do with a sale that cannot sync. From the sale's detail screen:

    • Retry Sync after fixing the cause.
    • Delete Sale only if you are certain it should not be recorded (for example, a test sale, or one you have already re-rung). A deleted queued sale is not recorded anywhere and cannot be recovered.

  3. Do not worry about a resend creating a duplicate. If the server received a sale but the register never got the confirmation, the register sends it again. The server recognises it as the same sale and does not record it twice.

  4. Know when automatic retries stop. The register keeps retrying a failed sale on its own, but after 10 failed attempts it stops and waits for someone to press Retry Sync. Check Sales History rather than assuming the queue will clear by itself.

More detail: the "SALE NOT SAVED" message

"SALE NOT SAVED" Message​

Problem​

After completing a payment, you see "SALE NOT SAVED — this device could not store the sale. Do not mark it paid; please re-ring it."

Explanation​

The register could not reach the server and could not store the sale on the device. The cart stays open so nothing is lost from the screen, but the sale has not been recorded anywhere.

Solutions​

  1. Re-ring the sale. Do not treat it as paid until it completes normally or shows as queued.
  2. Check the device's storage. Tap the sync indicator — the Sync Status panel shows how much storage is used and warns when it is nearly full. Free up space on the device.
  3. Avoid private or incognito browsing on registers, and check whether device-management or security software is restricting the browser's storage. Contact your IT administrator if the register is a managed device.
More detail: out-of-date product information

Out-of-Date Product Information While Offline​

Problem​

While offline, products do not reflect recent changes made in the admin panel (price updates, new products, deactivated products).

Explanation​

The register works from a saved copy of your catalog. While online it refreshes that copy in the background about every 5 minutes. Changes made after the last refresh do not reach a register that is offline.

Solutions​

  1. This is expected. While offline, the register cannot fetch new product information. Offline sales use the prices the register has saved.

  2. Sync when back online. Tap the sync indicator and press Sync Now to pull the latest catalog straight away.

  3. Review offline sales after a big price change. If you changed prices significantly while a register was offline, check those sales after they sync.

Pricing on offline sales

Offline sales use the prices that were saved on the register when it last synced. When the sale syncs, it is recorded at the prices the register charged.

More detail: preventing offline problems

Preventing Offline Issues​

  1. Use a wired connection. Ethernet is far more stable than Wi-Fi for registers that do not move.

  2. Leave the browser's data alone. Closing the POS tab or turning the device off at night is fine — saved information and queued sales stay on the device. Clearing browser data is what deletes them.

  3. Start the day with a sync. A register opened in the morning shows amber until it syncs. Tap the indicator and press Sync Now while online.

  4. Monitor your network. If you go offline often, consider a better internet plan or a backup connection. See Network Issues.

  5. Know which card payments need the internet. If your connection is unreliable, payments on an integrated card terminal will not work while it is down. Cash and card payments you record in Brother POS (charged on a standalone terminal) can still be queued.

More detail: checking the offline queue

Checking the Offline Queue​

To see whether anything is waiting to sync:

  1. Look for the red number badge on the sync indicator in the header.
  2. Tap the indicator to see how many sales, cash drops, pay-ins, stock moves, time actions and voids are waiting.
  3. Open Sales History to see each queued sale and each queued item void, its status (QUEUED or FAILED) and any error.
An item void marked FAILED was not applied

A single-item void made offline that the server refuses (usually because it needed a manager's approval, or because the sale wasn't paid entirely in cash — those items need a return instead) shows in Sales History as FAILED with "Not applied — the line is still on the sale. Void it again from the sale; a manager may need to approve." The item is still on the sale and it won't be sent again. Void the line again while online, then tap Dismiss to clear the notice.

More detail: how offline sales are protected

How Brother POS Protects Offline Sales​

ProtectionWhat it does
One at a time, in orderQueued sales are sent oldest first, each confirmed before the next
Duplicate protectionEvery sale carries its own identifier, so a sale sent twice is recorded once
Automatic retriesFailed sales are retried automatically, then wait for Retry Sync
Backup storageIf the device's main storage is slow or unavailable, the register saves the sale to a backup spot on the device
Accepts total differencesAn already-paid offline sale is not rejected if the server works out a slightly different total than the register charged (for example, a few cents of rounding)
Records sales that already happenedAn offline sale is not rejected for going over a customer's daily purchase limit or for selling more stock than the server shows. It is recorded; a limit breach is flagged for review in the admin Activity Logs, and stock can go below zero until it is counted and corrected

When to Contact Support​

Contact your admin or Brother POS support if:

  • Queued sales keep failing to sync on a stable connection, and the error does not explain why
  • You suspect sales were lost because browser data was cleared
  • The POS does not switch to offline mode when the connection drops
  • You see "SALE NOT SAVED" repeatedly on a device with free storage